Cincinnati Bearcats

- Total offense: 6th, 579 yards/game
- First downs: 1st, 101 total
- Passing: 12th, 1,030 yards with Kiel injured
- Rushing: 19th, 708 yards
- Defense: 42nd, 330 yards/game

That's a 3-0 team. That's a dangerous team. Then it gets not so fun.

- Interceptions allowed: 121st, 2/game
- Fumbles allowed: 115th, 2.5/game
- Turnovers per game: 127th, 4.5/game
- Turnover margin: 128th, -3.5

Dead last in turnover margin. Jesus. The only good news is that it's something that can be fixed. It's not like we can't throw, catch, run, or stop anyone. We are doing lots of stuff well. We're just so atrocious at ball control that we're losing or playing well below our talent level.

This can be fixed. If we're merely even in turnover margin, we can beat anyone. Imagine how many points we'd have without those turnovers.

This time last year we were near dead last in defense. Baby steps.

(09-22-2015 02:00 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  This time last year we were near dead last in defense. Baby steps.

In all seriousness, I prefer this. We had serious talent and coaching issues on D last year. It never really got "fixed," it just got a little better.

This can be fixed. I pray to the sweet baby Jeebus it's what we've worked on to start and finish practice every day this week.

(09-22-2015 02:03 PM)Dannyboy Wrote:  

(09-22-2015 02:00 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  This time last year we were near dead last in defense. Baby steps.

In all seriousness, I prefer this. We had serious talent and coaching issues on D last year. It never really got "fixed," it just got a little better.

This can be fixed. I pray to the sweet baby Jeebus it's what we've worked on to start and finish practice every day this week.

I am still not sure what to make of our defense. It is not great by any stretch, but when the Offense coughs up the ball as much as they have and given opposing teams good field position it can be demoralizing for a defense.

I agree with all of this, but remember who we have played so far this year...Alabama A&M, Temple and Miami of OH...not exactly high caliber or anything like what we will see over the next three games. If our defense can play at the level or better than they have to this point against these 3 teams, then I will agree we are further ahead of last year and making progress. But if Memphis puts 4-50+ on us, then Miami lays another 40+ on us, then BYU puts 40-50+ on us, we are no better and a 500 team at best. Those stats are great, but could be fools gold considering the competition?

Our offense really needs to cut out the turnovers and stinking Gran needs to play McKay and Boone every down possible. Those are the big play, play makers and with the addition of the rest of our receiving corp, much like 2008 and 2009, we should rarely punt and score almost every time we have the ball. I believe we have as much or more offensive talent now in skilled positions as a whole than we did during those years, and those teams would have hung 50+ on all of the teams we have played to date. How long did it take to throw some deep middle seam passes in that Miami game? Even the crack ESPN commentators asked that. How many times can Gran run the receivers out, stop and then throw the ball? When our receivers are moving and catching the ball, that is when they are dangerous. YAC is where we made our living with BK and staff.

(09-22-2015 01:58 PM)Dannyboy Wrote:  Cincinnati Bearcats

- Total offense: 6th, 579 yards/game
- First downs: 1st, 101 total
- Passing: 12th, 1,030 yards with Kiel injured
- Rushing: 19th, 708 yards
- Defense: 42nd, 330 yards/game

That's a 3-0 team. That's a dangerous team. Then it gets not so fun.

- Interceptions allowed: 121st, 2/game
- Fumbles allowed: 115th, 2.5/game
- Turnovers per game: 127th, 4.5/game
- Turnover margin: 128th, -3.5

Dead last in turnover margin. Jesus. The only good news is that it's something that can be fixed. It's not like we can't throw, catch, run, or stop anyone. We are doing lots of stuff well. We're just so atrocious at ball control that we're losing or playing well below our talent level.

This can be fixed. If we're merely even in turnover margin, we can beat anyone. Imagine how many points we'd have without those turnovers.

In fixing the int's, will it cut down on chances we take and turn out in our favor thus bringing our vaunted offensive numbers down? A couple of passes in the temple game could have very easily been picked.

lets see what happens against any real competition we play. Alabama a & m shouldnt count and lets not forget temple almost lost to umass and miami got crushed by wisconsin.

the scary part is the defensive numbers with the less than stellar competition.

I would venture to say that it's safe to assume that our defensive numbers are negatively effected by our insanely high TO ratio. That is to say that b/c we are providing the opponents with extra possessions they are able to accumulate more points & yardage.

To what degree? Who knows, I'm not going to make a guess here, but I do believe that this is as much of a silver lining as we can hope to get here. Bottom line, it's probably safe to assume that we're (some/ much/ a lot???) on defense. We're moving in the right direction.

Regarding TOs...well, to a relatively high degree they are the result of just dumb luck. I know every coach on the planet likes to talk about teaching ball security and what not, but the statistical analysis says otherwise. I feel like we'll either see an entire season of ridiculously bad luck....or more likely....we'll regress back to the norm. This in connection with the assumed improvement in D points to better days to come.

Time will tell however.....



mc

(09-22-2015 04:28 PM)marcuscan Wrote:  I would venture to say that it's safe to assume that our defensive numbers are negatively effected by our insanely high TO ratio. That is to say that b/c we are providing the opponents with extra possessions they are able to accumulate more points & yardage.

To what degree? Who knows, I'm not going to make a guess here, but I do believe that this is as much of a silver lining as we can hope to get here. Bottom line, it's probably safe to assume that we're (some/ much/ a lot???) on defense. We're moving in the right direction.

Regarding TOs...well, to a relatively high degree they are the result of just dumb luck. I know every coach on the planet likes to talk about teaching ball security and what not, but the statistical analysis says otherwise. I feel like we'll either see an entire season of ridiculously bad luck....or more likely....we'll regress back to the norm. This in connection with the assumed improvement in D points to better days to come.

Time will tell however.....



mc

I agree with dumb luck. In the temple game two of the interceptions were tipped balls. The Hosey fumble was very fortuitous for Temple. The turnovers should begin to even out.

Gee, thanks for the kind words...

(09-22-2015 01:58 PM)Dannyboy Wrote:  Cincinnati Bearcats

- Total offense: 6th, 579 yards/game
- First downs: 1st, 101 total
- Passing: 12th, 1,030 yards with Kiel injured
- Rushing: 19th, 708 yards
- Defense: 42nd, 330 yards/game

That's a 3-0 team. That's a dangerous team. Then it gets not so fun.

- Interceptions allowed: 121st, 2/game
- Fumbles allowed: 115th, 2.5/game
- Turnovers per game: 127th, 4.5/game
- Turnover margin: 128th, -3.5

Dead last in turnover margin. Jesus. The only good news is that it's something that can be fixed. It's not like we can't throw, catch, run, or stop anyone. We are doing lots of stuff well. We're just so atrocious at ball control that we're losing or playing well below our talent level.

This can be fixed. If we're merely even in turnover margin, we can beat anyone. Imagine how many points we'd have without those turnovers.

I would like to look at this and feel comforted. But they just don't pass the eye test. Wide receivers blowing past our coverages, so many missed tackles, Gunner can't hit the broad side of a barn vs Miami, our touted WRs drop easy passes and don't seem to get much separation against Miami DBs, one that was playing his first college game I believe.

(09-24-2015 01:47 AM)JHG722 Wrote:  Gee, thanks for the kind words...

I didn't see anything in this thread slamming Temple. Even if so, why do you care what we think? We certainly don't care what you think